God’s Prophets cured confusion by leading many to follow God as Abraham and Moses did. 1 Kings 19:19-21 tells us how Elijah cured Elisha, son of Shaphat, from the confusion of “plowing with twelve yoke of oxen; he was following the twelfth.”
That “Hidden Prophecy” lets us imagine the burden of feeding, training, harnessing, working, and housing twelve “yokes of 24 oxen”. People in the Twelve Tribes would come from miles around to enjoy seeing how utterly ridiculous Elisha was to do that. The Prophet Elijah was one of them.
When Elijah explained how ridiculous Elisha was to waste his assets on something as silly as plowing with “12 yokes of oxen”, Elisha was blessed to understand! So, “… he took the twelve yoke of oxen, slaughtered them, used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh, and gave it to his people to eat.”
Catholics realize: “That was twenty-four tons of meat!”
Today, we see similar confusion. The world’s religions have millions of “yokes of oxen” that are “plowing” all over the world. The internet lets us search for “how many branches of the ______ faith” and be stunned!
Many hated He Who Fulfilled the Messianic Prophecies for curing that self-serving confusion with The One, Church-Creating Word He Spoke to His First Catholic Pope:
“And I say unto you: ‘Thou art Peter and on this rock I build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I give you the keys to The Kingdom of Heaven.’”
From the day Jesus Spoke His Church into Being, there have been two religious groups on earth:
(1.) Those who respect Christ’s Church-Creating Word enough to honor the Successors to Peter will “Be Catholic!”
(2.) The billions of oxen pulling thousands of yokes away from God’s One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church all agree on one thing: “We know more than Jesus about that!” Many seek donations from those who want to get into Heaven without loving God and neighbors as themselves.
Today, we see that every Catholic is a living fulfillment of another “Hidden Prophecy” in Today’s Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-1o: “You are my inheritance, O Lord… in You I take refuge; I say to the LORD, ‘My Lord are You.”… my allotted portion and my cup… I set the LORD ever before me… “ predicts Catholics and Communion from God’s Catholic priests, and no one else.
Today’s “Alleluia” is from another Old Testament Psalm, 119:3, 29. Catholics see this “Hidden Prophecy” of how God helps us! “Incline my heart, O God, to Your decrees; and favor me with Your Law.”
What lets a person “Be Catholic!”? We are blessed to be so simple-minded that we focus on God, His Prophets, and He Who Fulfilled their Prophecies enough to say “Yes!” to God and obey His Son’s Call to “Be Catholic!”
Today’s incredible “Hidden Prophecy” is from Matthew 5:33-37!
“Jesus said to His (Catholic!) disciples: ‘You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow.’ But, I say to you, ‘Do not swear at all; not by Heaven, for it is God’s Throne; nor by earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.’”
That is important! Only Catholics meaningfully realize it is a “Hidden Prophecy” because the ancient “great King of Jerusalem” was Melchizedek. It was he who gave “bread and wine” to Abraham in The First Catholic Communion (Genesis 14:18), nearly 4,000 years ago! Catholics know: God’s blessed and beloved Catholic priests have been “Ordained in The Order of Melchizedek” for the past 2,000 years!
The joy of “Being Catholic!” gives us God’s Blessing of getting “the keys of The Kingdom of Heaven”. God’s Catholic priests are so close to God that they are Ordained to give us The Seven Catholic Sacraments: Baptism, Confession/Absolution, Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, and Healing. They are provided by God’s “Holy Orders”. They take human form in our Catholic priests, religious, and people. They provide “the keys to The Kingdom of Heaven” that Jesus died to leave on earth to His First Catholic Pope!
Today’s Gospel ends with another “Hidden Prophecy”! “Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes’ and your “No’ mean ‘No’. Anything more is from the evil one.”
That last sentence is a “Hidden Prophecy” that blesses all who escape the confusion of trying to “plow” with 24 oxen hitched to 12 yokes. May we all be blessed to live forever with the simple joy of “Being Catholic!” and avoid all the confusion that is from “the evil one”.
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Today’s Simple Rhyme: “May every soul be a shining light / among God’s Catholic bright and right!”
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